What is sprint car racing?

Sprint car racing is a uniquely American form of motorsport, spawned
during the early 20th century at fairground horse tracks, where it is
still popular today. In my opinion it is the most exciting form of auto
racing anywhere in the world!

Once considered a steppingstone to the Indianapolis 500 before the
arrival of rear-engined Indy cars in the early 1960s, sprint car racing
languished for years in obscurity. But the advent of cable TV coverage
in the 1980s brought new interest, and sponsor dollars, into the sport.
No longer a steppingstone, sprint car racing today may be as popular as
it has ever been.

What's it all about?

Why would anyone watch cars go 'round and 'round in a circle? You
won't find the answer by watching a sprint car race on television; you
have to experience it in person. Even the best home theater setup can't
do justice to the sensory overload of sprint car racing.

Imagine you're watching single-car qualifying. The first thing you
notice is the noise: the roar of the engine and the whine of the rear
gears, and the occasional screech of the big rear tires against the
track surface. Then you feel the breeze stirred by the big wings as the
car speeds by in excess of 100 MPH. As the car enters the turn, it
translates forward momentum into a shower of soft clay in the Turn 1
stands. The distinctive odor of burnt methanol hits you next, as you
watch the driver frantically shuffle the steering wheel to keep the car
on the track and pointed in the right direction, looking right to turn
left. You can't believe a car could be that far sideways and yet not
only under control, but accelerating at a fantastic rate!

Multiply this scene by 20, and you begin to understand the thrill of
watching a sprint car race in person. Best of all, if you live in the
US, it happens most every Friday or Saturday night at a race track near
you.

What is a sprint car?

A sprint car is a rolling anachronism; a noisy, powerful, fragile,
ill-tempered beast that's a handful to drive. Follow
this link
to find out more about the machinery behind the mayhem.

We remember...

By its nature, sprint car racing is a hazardous sport. Despite
ever-tighter safety standards, occasionally the unthinkable happens and
a driver is severely injured or killed. Follow this link for a tribute
to sprint car racing's
fallen heroes.

In addition to the folks named above, I offer thanks to the
many people who have offered information or links. Sorry to say, there
are now too many to list here! But thank you all -- I couldn't have
done it without your help.